Normally, flue gas washers have at least one coarse separator stage and one fine separator stage which are disposed one above the other on a respective support system with a vertical spacing that allows a manual inspection between the two separator stages. Each separator stage consists of a plurality of identical separator members which are droplet separator packs formed by individual droplet separator lamellae.
Such droplet separator systems have to be periodically cleaned since they contaminate with continuous use. For this, one has incorporated spray pipes into the flue gas washers normally above, below and between the individual droplet separator systems so that they can be sprayed with an appropriate cleaning medium (water) on both sides for cleaning purposes. The spray pipes are carried by support structures which assure a uniform distribution of the spray pipes over the cross-section of the flue gas washer.
It is known to dispose the support structures for the spray pipes at the supports on which the droplet separator packs are supported. For instance, these support structures are defined by posts extending upwardly and downwardly from the supports and supporting corresponding supporting frames on which the spray pipes are disposed.
Such systems have to be inspected and cleaned periodically in order to maintain the operability of the spray pipes. However, inspections can be carried out only in a difficult manner with such systems since the support structure for the spray pipes consisting of the posts arranged at the supports and the supporting frame for the spray pipes hinders access which has to be carried out near the supports. Accordingly, inspections, especially cleaning processes, which have to be carried out at a point of time necessarily can be carried out only with more difficult circumstances with such systems.
The above-cited difficulties exist always if the support structure for the spray pipes is disposed at the supports for the droplet separator systems since in this manner the space above and below the supports is occupied by the posts and the supporting frames crossing the supports. In many cases these supporting frames are also connected to the washer wall itself so that in this area access is made more difficult also.
Accordingly, in order to arrange the spray pipes in flue gas washers their support structures have to be mounted at the supports for the droplet separator systems and thus at the washer itself. This means an additional effort for the manufacturer of the washer since same has to supply a thoroughly adjusted embodiment with an exact size which has to be considered critically, especially if the support systems have an anti-corrosion coating, for instance a rubber coating.